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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Hot Water With Lemon

When I go out to restaurants and I am not in the mood for a carbonated or alcoholic drink, I ask for "hot water with lemon, please." It is customary for restaurants to serve complimentary ice water, and oftentimes I am not in the mood for a glass of icy, cold water. Instead, I ask that they serve my water hot, with lemon.

Usually the server brings me back something like shown above, but sometimes it comes in all kinds of different presentations. Sometimes I get the water in a small shiny tea pot, with a cup and lemon on the side. Sometimes I get the lemon in the hot water, in a "glass" (how do I hold a regular water glass that is boiling hot?). Usually I don't get a spoon, so I can't stir the lemon juice after I squeeze it into the cup, and I can't fish out the lemon piece if it's already in the cup or glass. This request appears to be a bit unusual for them, but it's simple, and free. I make the best of what I get and it's amusing to me. I enjoy the warm, healthy drink, too.

Lemon in water is good for you, and celebrity Ashley Judd has been known to say that her weight loss regime starts each day with hot water and lemon to get her metabolism going. Water and lemon juice have a good track record as far as I can see. If you want to get fancy, you can even add honey or sugar to make it more tasty. Next time you go out to a restaurant, ask for "hot water with lemon" and see what you get.